Self-adjusting outer garment



March 1, 1960 QLIAN ET AL 2,926,359

SELF-ADJUSTING OUTER GARMENT Filed Dec. 26, 1956 J6 11) 1 9 n n/336 1121.3. L L Q ii F 1'7 I F,

' INVENTOILSI fi omueo 04/4 invention.

SELF-ADJUSTING OUTER GARMENT Howard Olian, Roslyn Estates, and Bruce L. Glen, New York, N.Y.

Our invention relates to self adjusting skirts and similar garments that require adjustments in fitting to the body.

United States Patent i Patented Mar. 1, 196.0

employ a narrow type stitch to permit stretching without injury to the stitching thread.

As isseen, the skirt may be manufactured devoid of darts, gores, and other evidences of shaping means or they may be reduced in number. Instead, our invention comprises a garment made of partially elasticized fabric woven in a manner hereinafter described.

In 'Fig. 2, a portion of fabric 20 from which our skirt may be made is shown, extending from one selvage 22 (j to the other selvage 24. Such fabric comprises the warp Hitherto, such garments after manufacture, were altered Z to exact dimension in order to achieve a perfect fit. In

the manufacture of the skirt, in addition, darts were developed, usually between 4 and 6 in number, to permit the fabric to be gradually tapered between the waist and hip to provide a snug fit. A considerable number of tailoring operations were thus needed, not only during the manufacturing processes, but also in the alterations necessaryto insure the final adjustment between the nearest standard size and the actual body dimensions of the wearer.

Such garments have also been made with gores of elastic material inserted at various positions peripherally about the waist and extending longitudinally of the body for distances between the waist and hip, and sometimes extending to the entire length of the skirt. These gores of elastic material also require extensive tailoring operations. Being made of knitted material, ,the gores were readily distinguished from the fabric body of the skirt, which made this construction objectionable to many women.

The presence of many seams at the waist thickens the waist line, increases the cost, and also results in a few weakening and bursting under tension brought about by a tightly fitted garment. i

Accordingly, the principal object of our invention is to provide a self adjusting outer garment which is capable of snugly fitting different body figures possessing approximately the same standard size by means substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric of the garment.

Other objects are to accomplish the foregoing in agarment which eliminates or reduces the number of darts and gores; which fits snugly; which does not thicken the waist line; which is smooth in appearance; and which is less expensive to manufacture than previous types. Y

We accomplish these and other objects and obtain our new results as willbe apparent from the garment described in the following specification, particularly pointedout in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

. in which:

Fig. .1 is a front elevation of a skirt incorporating our Fig.2 is a plan view of the fabric from the skirt "may be made, woven in accordance withoue of our procedures. a

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a similar fabric woven in accordance with another of our procedures; More particularly, in Fig. 1, reference numeral 10 designates a skirt'tailored with an upper hem 11, a lower hem 12; andinner waistband 13, and for convenience; aside opening 14 provided, with. a closure fastener 15, usually 5 a'zipper, positionedin the elasticized section 16, of the body 17. The inner. waistband 1 3 fnay be employed Jto'igive Ithe waist-support. lt'sho'uld of course, be made of elastic material and is sewn to the inner hem at the waistband. All sewing in the elasticized area should threads 26, and weft or filling threads 28. Portions of the fabric warp threads are wholly or in part elasticized, preferably by utilization of the so-called stretchyarns. Such stretch yarns are usually made by imparting a permanent excess twist to multistrand synthetic fibers, such as nylon, in a manner now known to the art. However, it is possible to elasticize the desired warp threads .by the use of rubber filaments about which yarn has been mounted, also in a known manner.

As an example, by way of illustration, in Fig. 2, the fabric may be woven in a 64 inch width suitable for making skirts. The first 40% ofthe warp threads, designated by the letter A, may be made solely of worsted yarns; the next 20%, or portion'B, of the warp may consist of the worsted and stretch .yarns in graduated amounts; and the balance of the warp threads, or 40%, designated by letter C, may consist again of the worsted yarns. i

In portion B, for example, one zone designated by numeral 30, of the warp thread, may consist of three ends of the worsted yarn to one end of stretch yarn as is shown in Fig. 4; in zone 32, the ratio may be two to two; in

,zone 34, the ratio may be one to three; in zone 36, or

the central area, 100% stretch yarns are preferably used for maximum stretch effect; and in zones 38, 40 and 42, thezone may be in the exact reverse proportions as in zones 34,32 and 30, respectively.

If the fabric is woven 64 inches wide, then non-elastic portion A may be approximately 25 /2 inches wide, the

graduated elasticized portion B may be 13 inches wide,

ticity of the fabric.

Further variations are possible. For example, depending upon the weave used, there can be used in the elastic zones, ratios of one end of the stretch yarn to one of worsted yarn for zone 30; next zone, two to one; next, three to one; next, four to one, all for about 240 ends; then about 400 ends of stretch yarn for the central zone 36, and thereafter, four to one; three to one; two to one; and one to one. The non-elastic zones may each consist of about 1560 ends of the worsted warp yarn.

The procedure may also be varied, see Fig. 3, by starting, for example, the fabric (portion D) with stretch yarns corresponding to /2 of zone. 36, then zones 36, 38,

.40 and 42, respectively, of portion B in Fig. 2; the central portion of the fabric with full worsted y'arn (portion 'E); and then ending the fabric with an additonal portion of the stretch yarns (portion F), corresponding to /2 of zone 36 of portion B in Fig.2.

In this fashion, we have achieved a graduated elas' ticity in certain of the warp threads, which will be either in the middle of the fabric (Fig. 2), or adjacent both selvages of the fabric (Fig. 3), depending upon the method selected. Various combinations togive specific graduations'of elasticity are possible and may be used.

The ultimate effect of weaving the fabric in this manner is that the portion of the cloth that contains the stretch yarn will be elasticized in some measure to the degree that the stretch yarn is present. In the procedure followed in Fig. 2, an overall elasticity of from about to 30% is achieved.

The resulting fabric looks like a normal woven cloth with little perceptible differentiation between the elastic and non-stretch areas. The lack of differentiation between the areas is an important factor that contributes 'be chosen to resemble in diameter and color the yarn used in the rest of the warp threads, appropriate sizes of stretch yarn being obtained, if necessary, by plying the same. To the extent that the stretch yarn does not resemble in diameter and texture the yarn used in the rest of the warp threads, the difference can be made indistinguishable in a number of Ways. In one method, the filling can be floated over the warp, i.e., a satin-type Weave can be used, with, for example, one out of four warp threads appearing on the face of the fabric. The fabric may be gigged, the resulting fuzzing of the filling yarn rendering the stretch yarn less noticeable. The same result can be achieved by using a finer warp yarn than is used in the filling, thereby similarly rendering the differences between the two types of Warp yarn less noticeable. The warp yarn maybe speck-dyed, which dyes the fiber or cotton without dyeing the wool yarn, rendering the differences between the warp stretch yarn and the rest of the warp yarn indistinguishable. By the choice of appropriate colors, such as black, the color of the stretch yarn may be rendered indistinguishable from the ,rest of the warp yarn, thereby accomplishing the desired result.

Where elasticity is desirable in the Weft of the fabric, this may be accomplished by reversing all the aforesaid language and substituting the words filling or weft for warp.

The fabric when woven in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, i.e., of 64 inches width, is then cut longitudinally and medially, along axis 44, to provide two segments 46 and 48, each having the varying elastic characteristic for a portion along one edge.

Segment 46 is then cut transversely for the distance corresponding to the maximum periphery of the skirt, and the edge corresponding to axis 44 forms the edge at the waist band of the skirt illustrated in Fig. 1.

The cut edge 50 in the fabric 52 illustrated in Fig. 3, becomes the hem of a skirt, since the selvage edge portions 54 and 56 are elasticized in this version, and becomes the hem under the waistband.

The fabric, when shaped and formed into a garment as illustrated, permits a substantially finished product to be fitted snugly and smoothly to the waist and hip region, by reason of the elasticized area and the non-elasticized areas to be supported freely therefrom in the remainder of the garment. The controlled elasticity in the desired stretch area provides an exact fit in any given size range.

By employing fabric of increased stretchability, the range 4 in each size may be increased, thereby reducing the total number of sizes required.

The elasticized zones are integrated visually into each other and into the remainder of the garment so as to avoid visible lines of demarcation. The material possesses a substantially uniform appearance throughout, which permits use of the elasticized material in visible portions of the garment when worn.

We have found that an area becomes more supple and clinging as the area is given more elasticity by the increased use of stretch yarns. If the area is reduced in elasticity, the fabric becomes straighter and less clinging.

This form of control is most desirable for skirts, since it is required that the skirt fit tightly around the waist and hip bone area, and gradually fall freely from the hip to the hem.

By means of the illustrated method of manufacture, it is possible, by cutting the fabric longitudinally in half, to size the material from hem to waistband and automatically position the elasticized zones at the waist and hip section, and the non-elasticized area at the other end. In the example given, the 64-inch fabric provides two pieces, each 32 inches in width, and each suitable for a womans skirt.

The foregoing fabric, being visually uniform in appearance, may be woven to provide material suitable for childrens skirts, womens dresses, trousers, slacks, and other outer garments wherein elasticized zones are provided for adjustable fit in the waist, hips, and other regions of the figure, without the need for alterations in the garment as sold in the standard size.

We have thus described our invention, but we desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, and, therefore, we claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

We claim:

1. A skirt having a waist and hip portion and a lower portion extending to the hem, all portions made of a single piece of woven fabric, which comprises in the waist and hip portion a set of mixed elastic and non-elastic threads which extend circumferentially about the skirt to provide an elastic restriction in the waist and hip portion, and in the lower portion a set of solely nonelastic threads which extend circumferentially about the skirt, said fabric including a set a threads woven at right angles to the circumferential threads and extending continuously from the waist to the hem of the skirt and being solely non-elastic.

2. The skirt of claim 1, wherein the mixed threads in the waist and hip portion have a greater proportion of elastic to inelastic threads in the upper portion of the waist and hip portion than in the lower portion of the Waist and hip portion, to provide greater elasticity in the upper portion of the waist and hip portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

